Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D21/00—Processes for servicing or operating cells for electrolytic coating
  • C25D21/16—Regeneration of process solutions
  • C25D21/18—Regeneration of process solutions of electrolytes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D3/00—Distillation or related exchange processes in which liquids are contacted with gaseous media, e.g. stripping
  • B01D3/10—Vacuum distillation
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D21/00—Processes for servicing or operating cells for electrolytic coating
  • C25D21/16—Regeneration of process solutions
  • C25D21/22—Regeneration of process solutions by ion-exchange
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S204/00—Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
  • Y10S204/13—Purification and treatment of electroplating baths and plating wastes

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for removing ferrous ions from acidic tin baths such as tinning electrolytes which are commonly used in the tinplating industry, and a tinning electrolyte recovery plant wherein this method is employed. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method by which ferrous ions are separated from acidic tinning electrolytes in the form of insoluble ferrous methanesulfonate or ferrous phenolsulfonate in the cold.
• the Fe content can be kept constant in processes operating with hydrogen halide by adding soluble sodium ferrocyanide to form a ferrocyanide of iron.
• a different approach has to be taken for tinplating baths operating with a polysulfonic acid, an acidic fluoroborate or MSA electrolyte. In such baths, a lowering of the Fe content has been attempted by diluting the bath with fresh electrolyte and discarding part of the old one, or by plating out tin with tungsten electrodes, and then by re-dissolving it.
• Such processes are very expensive.
• a process of precipitating iron with organic or inorganic acids has not been successful because the high proton concentration of the electrolyte causes a precipitation of the acids as such or contributes to redissolving the formed iron compound.
• a chemical separation of iron by means of a pH change has also proven to be unsatisfactory.
• divalent tin hydroxide Sn(OH) 2 precipitates, while iron only precipitates at pH values of around 3. Even in the best case, only mixtures of Sn(OH) 2 and an iron salt such as ferrous oxalate were obtained.
• US-A-5 057 290 discloses processes and apparatus for the closed-loop regeneration of spent hydrochloric acid pickle liquors by recovering ferrous chloride from the spent pickle liquors at very low temperatures.
• this patent does not relate to the recovery of tinning electrolytes and is not concerned with the particular necessity of separating stannous and ferrous ions in such an electrolyte.
• the present invention wishes to avoid the above-mentioned problems involved with prior art methods for removing Fe ions from tin electrolytes, particularly from electrolytes used as tinplating baths. Moreover, the present invention aims at providing such a separation method which is reliable, inexpensive, provides a good separation performance and can be operated by personnel without specific education. Furthermore, the method should be suitable for the treatment of large amounts of electrolyte, particularly MSA-containing electrolyte. It would be especially advantageous if the method was also suitable for electrolytes containing a mixture of MSA and sulfuric acid.
• a further object underlying the present invention is to provide a recovery plant for tinning electrolytes which allows the separation of ferrous ions from iron-containing tin electrolytes on the basis of MSA and, optionally, sulfuric acid.
• the present invention provides:
• a method for separating ferrous ions from an iron-containing tinning electrolyte on the basis of methanesulfonic acid comprising the following steps:
• a step (f) may be provided which comprises recycling of the recovered concentrated electrolyte from step (c) into the original tinning electrolyte or a tin dissolving station.
• subject-matter of the present invention is:
• the above recovery plant further comprises a device for recovering methanesulfonic acid or phenolsulfonic acid from said iron-containing precipitate such as an ion exchanger and/or a device for washing the obtained precipitate with a cold mixture of water and methanesulfonic acid or phenolsulfonic acid.
• a device for recovering methanesulfonic acid or phenolsulfonic acid from said iron-containing precipitate such as an ion exchanger and/or a device for washing the obtained precipitate with a cold mixture of water and methanesulfonic acid or phenolsulfonic acid.
• a method for separating ferrous ions from an iron-containing tinning electrolyte on the basis of methanesulfonic acid (or phenolsulfonic acid, the same applies hereinafter) is provided.
• the tinning electrolyte can be any solution suitable for the electrodeposition (plating) of tin on other metals, particularly iron or iron alloys. Such electrolytes are commonly used in the tinplating industry.
• the tinning electrolyte in the present invention should be on the basis of methanesulfonic acid, i.e. it should contain an aqueous acidic solution mainly consisting of methanesulfonic acid.
• one or more further acids may be present as well.
• a particularly suitable tinning electrolyte for use in the present invention is Ronastan® TP containing about 20 g/l Sn, 50 to 100 ml/l MSA, 20 ml/l H 2 SO 4 and 7% w/v of additives (organic compounds, e.g. antioxidants).
• the pH value of this electrolyte is around 0.8 at room temperature.
• tinning and tinplating electrolytes are either operated with soluble or insoluble anodes.
• Soluble anodes are made of metallic tin, while insoluble anodes consist of e.g. iridium or another inert metal.
• the latter case usually requires an additional tin dissolving station to bring metallic tin into the dissolved state.
• the thus obtained solution containing stannous ions is then transferred into the tinplating bath.
• the expression "tinning electrolyte” should be understood here as including both a tinning or tinplating electrolyte with soluble and insoluble anodes. In the latter case it is, however, more advantageous to recirculate the recovered electrolyte into the tin dissolving station rather than into the tinning electrolyte itself.
• the MSA dissolves part of the iron out of the steel ribbon or sheet, which accumulates in the tinning electrolyte.
• Typical iron content values in a tinning electrolyte after some time in use are 10 - 25 g/l Fe.
• MSA is bound in the electrolyte. If part of the electrolyte is removed and replaced with fresh electrolyte, as was the industrial practice in the state of the art, relatively large amounts of expensive MSA must be supplemented to maintain the acid content of the electrolyte. This is disadvantageous both from an economical and ecological point of view.
• One of the objects of the invention therefore is to find a convenient method for recovering the methanesulfonic acid from its ferrous salt so that it may be reused in a tinning electrolyte.
• the invention comprises a multi-step method which is essentially based on the different solubilities of tin methanesulfonate and ferrous methanesulfonate in the cold, which were heretofore unknown.
• a concentrated tin and iron-containing electrolyte containing 150 ml/l or more methanesulfonic acid is provided.
• concentration tin and iron-containing electrolyte means any electrolyte wherein the concentration of methanesulfonic acid and, preferably, also of tin and iron is higher than in a normal electrolyte used for tinning or tinplating.
• Such a concentrated electrolyte can be prepared by concentrating a normal tinning electrolyte to about 50% of its original volume or less, more preferably 40% or less, most preferably about 1/3. This concentration can be carried out by conventional means, e.g.
• the concentration, particularly the MSA concentration serves to lower the freezing point of the electrolyte.
• Conventional electrolytes for plating processes have an MSA concentration of about 5 - 10% by weight.
• the freezing point of e.g. a solution containing about 20 g tin methanesulfonate, 12 g ferrous methanesulfonate and 7% w/v Ronastan® additives would be around -1 to -5°C.
• a higher concentration of MSA is therefore important for lowering the freezing point. If the concentration of free MSA in the electrolyte is increased to 15 - 18%, the freezing point is lowered to -15°C.
• the concentrated electrolyte used in step (a) can also be provided just by adding methanesulfonic acid to a regular tinning electrolyte, without a concentration process.
• MSA is commercially available as a 70% aqueous solution having a freezing point of about -60°C. However, in view of the high costs of methanesulfonic acid, this is a less preferred embodiment of the invention.
• the most favorable way to prepare a concentrated tin and iron-containing electrolyte containing 150 ml/l or more methanesulfonic acid is to combine the concentration of a commercial tinning electrolyte and the addition of further methanesulfonic acid.
• the addition of further methanesulfonic acid can be performed before or during the cooling (step (b)).
• the timing of the MSA addition is not decisive so long as the electrolyte does not freeze.
• the freezing point of the concentrated electrolyte can be decreased to temperatures below -30°C.
• the electrolyte is stirred during the cooling process by conventional means.
• a 150 ml/l or higher concentration of methanesulfonic acid in the electrolyte preferably about 200 ml/l or more, is favorable in view of the desirable lowering of the freezing point on the one hand and overall costs on the other.
• the MSA contributes to a better crystallization of the ferrous methanesulfonate. If the MSA concentration amounts to 20-23% by weight, the freezing point of the electrolyte is decreased to about -23°C. In such a temperature range, green ferrous methanesulfonate crystallizes in economically useful amounts.
• the concentrated tin and iron-containing electrolyte as provided in step (a) is an electrolyte on the basis of methanesulfonic acid or phenolsulfonic acid and may, optionally, contain further acids such as sulfuric acid, and additives.
• This concentrated electrolyte is cooled in step (b) to temperatures at which an insoluble Fe-salt precipitates. These temperatures may to some extent depend on the exact state and composition of the electrolyte. Normally, the electrolyte is cooled to temperatures of about -15°C or less, preferably -23°C or less and more preferably about -30°C.
• an insoluble iron salt precipitates which essentially consists of ferrous methanesulfonate or phenolsulfonate and, optionally, other ferrous salts such as ferrous sulfate.
• concentration of tin methanesulfonate in the precipitate is fairly small, about 2% by weight or less, and may, in a preferable embodiment of the invention, be further reduced by washing the ferrous methanesulfonate crystals with a cold mixture of water and MSA (about 25% by volume), step (d).
• step (c) the iron-containing precipitate is separated from the concentrated electrolyte by conventional means, preferably by centrifugation or filtration techniques. Most preferable is centrifugation.
• the concentrate still contains approx. 7% of the original Fe concentration, whereby account has been taken for the volume change.
• step (e) which is a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the methanesulfonic acid is recovered from said iron-containing precipitate, e.g. by means of ion exchange.
• the recovered methanesulfonic acid may be reused to provide the electrolyte used in step (a) or for other purposes, e.g. to be supplemented into a tinning electrolyte.
• a step (f) may be additionally provided which comprises the recycling of the concentrated electrolyte into the original tinning electrolyte or a tin dissolving station.
• the present invention allows a complete method for recovering a Fe-containing tinning electrolyte by removing the undesirable iron component and recycling the valuable tin and MSA component.
• the present invention provides a recovery plant for tinning electrolytes on the basis of methanesulfonic acid, which is suitable for conducting the above process.
• This plant may comprise:
• the above apparatus according to the present invention further comprises a device for washing the obtained precipitate with a cold mixture of water and methanesulfonic acid or phenolsulfonic acid.
• Ronastan® TP-Sn-electrolyte (Fa. Rasselstein) were concentrated to 1200 ml by cautious distillation under vacuum.
• the concentrated electrolyte was poured into a glass reactor and put into a methanol bath.
• the methanol bath was gradually cooled by adding dry ice.
• the original electrolyte had an acid content (MSA) of 55 ml/l, a content of ferrous ions of 10 g/l and a content of stannous ions of 18-19 g/l.
• MSA acid content
• the respective values were 165 ml/l acid, 33 g/l Fe and 55 g/l Sn.
• the solid ferrous methanesulfonate was dissolved in warm water and passed through an acidic ion exchanger to recover MSA in very good yields.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Electrochemistry (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Metallurgy (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Electrolytic Production Of Metals (AREA)
• Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)
• Electroplating And Plating Baths Therefor (AREA)
• Chemically Coating (AREA)

Priority Applications (9)

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• 1996
  • 1996-12-02 EP EP96119294A patent/EP0863229A1/fr not_active Ceased
• 1997
  • 1997-11-13 ES ES97119907T patent/ES2155958T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-11-13 DE DE69704071T patent/DE69704071T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-11-20 US US08/975,593 patent/US5891343A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-11-24 AU AU45337/97A patent/AU720303B2/en not_active Expired
  • 1997-12-01 KR KR1019970065006A patent/KR100529011B1/ko active IP Right Grant
  • 1997-12-02 TR TR97/01486A patent/TR199701486A2/xx unknown

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